Actor! Actor! . . . Author? Author?
by Kate Carroll
Actors turned singers, turned models, turned . . .
authors? There are several names in Hollywood that have become associated with
the world of literature, including well-known actors such as Steve Martin,
Woody Allen, Carrie Fisher and, as a previous
blog on this topic covered, Julie Andrews. Working at a bookstore has
allowed me to discover a fair share of actor-authors, some presumably for PR
purposes, but also many who actually work at the craft. Here are a few I was
surprised to find have picked up a pen in between sets.
Viggo Mortensen: He’s played a horse whisperer, epically
fought to protect a ring and is a published poet. Add artist, photographer and
polyglot who is fluent in Spanish and Danish to his resume, and what can’t he
do? Mortensen writes in all three languages and enjoys mixed media art, often
combining his poetry with music. His book Coincidence
of Memory, published in 2002, contains a mixture of nearly 25 years of his
work.
Hugh Laurie: The world loves his bitter, sarcastic
humor, so it should be no surprise that his 1996 novel The Gun Seller sold very well, resulting in even a few international
printings. Fans long hoped for a sequel, which he finished over a decade later,
but the title has yet to be released. Laurie has been praised for his ability
to translate his on-screen comic genius into the novel format.
James Franco: I was very surprised when his short story
collection, Palo Alto, came out in
2010. Some agree that this collection is a decent first try, but most believe
Franco tries too hard to impress us with his stylistic choices, abandoning his
characters along the way. Franco has also been published in Ploughshares, a literary magazine based
at my alma mater, Emerson College. I read the entry “The Deer” at work one day;
it wasn’t exactly my taste, but I respect someone who can bring to life both a
trapped climber on screen and a troubled teen on page. Franco is currently
pursuing his PhD in English from Yale.
Other names that might come as surprises when found on
book covers include Chuck Norris, Julie Walters, Macaulay Culkin and John
Travolta. Next time you’re in a bookstore, keep an eye out for some familiar
names—odds are they’ll be set in larger text than the title.
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